Braintree Town 0 Guiseley 1

SECOND-half substitute Tom Craddock was Guiseley’s hero as they banked their first away win of the season in the Vanarama National League and dented Braintree’s bright start.

The Essex outfit were just outside the play-off zone before the visit of the Lions but they tumbled to ninth and are now just three points better off than Mark Bower’s men, who climbed to 13th.

A delighted Bower said: "It was a fantastic result. To go away to a side who started the weekend in fifth (before Friday evening’s televised game when Dover leapfrogged them with a 2-0 home win over Woking) and get our first away win shows what a great effort it was.

“I thought we played well in the first half and controlled the game, and they had to reorganise at half-time, but we showed a different side to our game in the second half and kept them at arm's length.

“Drenchy (keeper Steve Drench) had one outstanding save to make, to a deflected shot, and if that had gone in it would have been very unfortunate to go behind to a goal like that.

“We made a few changes and it’s difficult for the players coming off the bench who haven’t played as much football as they want but they did well.

"I thought we could have won at Welling, Chester and Torquay, so we’ve had to wait for our first away win but it shows that we are not far away from being a good team at this level.”

Both sides were denied by the woodwork in the first half, with the home side threatening first. There were just 14 minutes gone when the Iron, who were playing good football, forced a chance.

Braintree’s Michael Cheek just failed to convert a Sim Akinola cross but the Lions responded in the 37th minute when Wayne Brooksby cut in from the right and sent in a shot that came off the base of the post.

Drench and his opposite number Will Norris made very good saves in the second half but Craddock, who had only come on minutes earlier, netted a poacher's goal ten minutes from time.